Pneumatic casting apparatus.



S. P. WETHERILL, JR. & J. P. WETHERILL, Jn. PNBUMATIC CASTNG APPARATUS. APPLICATION rILED sEPT.8,19o6. BENBWED Nov. s, 1911.

Patented June 11, 1912.

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T0 VA CHUM Pl/MP 7 0 AIR CONI? S. P. WETHERILL, JR. 6L J. P. WETHERILLJR. PNBUMATIC CASTING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. a, 1906. BBNEWED Nov. a, 1911.

1,029,565, Patented June 11,1912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE.

SAMUEL PRICE WETHEBILL, JR., AND JOHN PRICE WETHERILL, OF PHILADEL- PHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 WETHERILL FINISHED CASTINGS COMPANY, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

A CORPORATION 0F PENNSYLVANIA.

PNEUMATIC CASTING APPARATUS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application le'd September S, 1906, Serial No. 333,817. Renewed November 3, 1911. Serial N`o658,4l9.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL PRICE WETHERILL, Jr., and JOHN PRICE WETH- ERILL, Jr., citizens of the United States, both residing at Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Casting Apparatus; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactA description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use t-he same.

Our invention relates to certain new and useful improvements lin the castingof metall, and particularly to improvements in apparatusdesigned for that purpose.

In carrying out our invention, we subject the metal to be used in t-he casting operation tov asuilcient degree of heat to bring it into a state of fluidity appropriate to the uses of the apparatus. For this purpose, we place the metal, which may convenient-ly consist of an alloy (such as an aluminum alloy, or the like) fusible at a relatively flow heat, in a melting pot, which may be of cast-iron, having a refractory lining andy which is conveniently heated externally by means of products of combustion from a gas burner, 0r other source of fuel supply operating within a furnace, wit-hin which the melting` pot is suspended.

From the cover of the melting pot depends a refractory dip tube, whose lower end terminates ata point near Athe bottoml of the pot, so as to be well below the surface of the molten metal, andwhose. upper portion is provided with -a nozzle having a conical recess, for the reception of the corresponding conical gate of a two part mold, which in thecasting operation is clamped in place, inany suitable' manner.

In order to vforce the molten metal into the mold, we make ilse of compressed air, admitted to the upper surface of the metal inthe melting pot, and `we take special precaution to prevent the entering jet,' or jets,

of compressedair from channeling lnto, or penetrating, the body of the molten metal. To this end, we so locate the jet, or.jets, that they will enter or be deflected laterally in the space above themetal, instead of impinging directly upon the surface. of the metal and tending to force their way into the latter.

to a non-chilling temperature during the temporary periods of removal of the mold during a series of casting operations.

In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated suitable embodiments of our improvements, so as to make apparent the essential features of novelty contained therein.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation and partial section of one form of, such apparatus. Fig. 2 represents a like view of a modification thereof, with t-he mold removed, and with the heating 'devices for'the dip-pipe nozzlein place. Fig. A

3 represents another form of dip-pipe nozzle in its relation to the dip-pipe and to the cover of the melting pot. s

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts. y

Referring to the drawings, A indicates supporting standards for; the heating furnace, which may conveniently consist of an outer shell B having a lining of refrac tory material a, and a cover b from which is suspended the melting pot C. The furnace may be readily heatedby means of the burner D, supplied with a combustible mixture from the gas pipe E and compressed =air pipe F, having suitable regulating or controlling cocks, as shown. The products of combustion enter the interior of the furnace through the perforated distributing plate c, and escape through the exit flue l The melting pot C, which is usually of cast-iron, is provided vwith a lining of a liquid or= pasty refractorymaterial, applied thereto, of substantially the same coefficient of ex ansibility as the cast-iron body portion, or the purpose. of .protecting the metal against the corrosive action of the fused metal, and to protect the metal itself J and the jet mouthpiece f, which latter is attached to the lower screw-threaded end of the thimble. It will b'e noted 'that the jets of the mouthpiece f discharge laterally into the -melting as a baille plate for this purpose. The in'- rushin compressed air entering through these jets does not tehd, therefore, to force itself under the surface of the metal, and

thereby to channel, chill and oxidize it, but

is distributed uniformly over the. upper sur- Aface of the metal in the pot and exerts a uniform ressure thereon appropriate to the uses o the invention.

The dip-pipe H is formed of fire clay, or

other refractory and stable material inert to the metal to be cast, and, in order to support it properly, and at'the same time to A. provide means for clamping the mold in alinement with it, it is provided with a nozzle of metal. This no"zzle may be screwthreaded into the cover, as` illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; or, as illustratedin Fig. 3,

it is made up of two parts, g, h, separately 35,connected by means of screws z'. The upper one of these plates is preferably inserted flush with the surface of the cover e and is removably secured therein by means of the screws-n. It is provided with a` conical bore 40 m for cooperation with the corresponding conical gate of the casting mold. The lower part h of the nozzle is provided with a conical recess for the reception lof packing material s of pasty consistency, 'and which will set and harden so as to hold the dip-pipe H in place, and toA make this union the more complete, we preferably provide the upper end of the dip-pipe H with'a number of recesses on its outer periphery, 'as illustrated in Fig. 3, within which packing :material enters.

The casting mold is made up of two sep? arable counterparts. In Fig. `1, we have shown one of these counterparts K, with 5 its conical gate t.

interior of the gate communicates with the'.` casting cavity fv of the mold and the, casting n cavityis ventedfby the side Achli/imnels shown,

The channel or hollow which communicate with'a co on exit lor venting channel "w.

In the form-of our invention shown `in `Fig. 2, it is contemplated to'eniploy a mold which will vent into the open air and which will be clamped in place by the screw L 6.5 passing through the screw-threaded' aperot, instead of downwardly, 15 the bottom o the jet mouthpiece serving inbefore gated.

ture ofthe cross-head M of a yoke N secured to the frame of the apparatus.- In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1, however, the mold is vented through the conduit P of a vacuum pump, so as to facilitate and improve the casting operation by the conjoint action of pressure applied to the top of t-he metal in the melting pot and a vacuum formed in the interior of the mold. The hollow clamping screw R passing through the cross-head M of the yoke N is provided at its lower end with a clam ing head T, having a conical mouthpiece orv the reception of the conical vent projection z ofthe mold, and for-the reception of the elastic o r/lexible packing ring mi In Fig. 2 we have also illustrated the means which we prefer to. employ for maintaining a non-chilling temperature in the nozzle of the dip-pipe, during the intervals between successive casting operations, so as t0 prevent the chilling of the metal therein,

and so as to permit any metal that has not entered the mold to pass back into the melt.- ing pot. It -will be noted that the heating device referred to is a burner Z supplied with a mixture of' gas and air from the gaspipe E and compressed' air pipe 1` the branches taken off for this purpose being provided with regulable cut-oil cocks or valves, as shown. The burner Z and its mixing chamber y are adapted to swing sidewise out of the way of the mold, when the latter is inserted in place. In order not to complicate the illustration, we have not shown this burner in connection with the form of our apparatus illustrated'in Fig. -1; it will be understood, however, that Vw contemplate using'it in that form "of apparatus also.

The mode of operation of the invention will beapparent. The metal'to be cast is inserted inthe melting pot and the cover e with its adjuncts, is attached thereto airtight. Tlhe metal is then brought to a molten condition, 'and when at a tempera- -ture suitable for casting, the mold is clamped in place. Compressed air is then admitted to the upperi surfaceA of the metal through the pipe J, thimble I and jet mouthpiece f, whereupon the metal is forced upwardly throuv'h the dip-pipe H into the mold, the mold lacing vented, either into the open air, or by means of thev vacuum condult, operated `simultaneously with, or in thepinstan't preceding the'admission of they compressed air lto the melting pot. When .the casting isthus effected, the operating cocks of the air compression pipe and vacuum pipe are closed, the clamping devices of the mold are released, andthe mold lisremoved and disassembled. The burner Z lis'then'swnng around into place to heat the nozzle of the dip-pipe for the purposes herefrom the cover and having a Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. A casting apparatus, lcomprising a melting pot adapted to serve as a containing reservoir for the molten casting metal, an air-tight cover for the pot, a dip-pipe depending from and removable through the cover and whose lower end opens near the bottom of the pot, a casting mold separate from the cover and having a gate in alinement with the upper end of the dip-pipe, and means for transferring the molten casting metal from the melting pot into the mold; substantially as described.v

2. A casting apparatus, comprising a melting pot adapted to serve as a containing reservoir for thev molten casting metal, an air-tight cover for the pot, a dip-pipe depending from and removable through the cover and whose lower end vopens near the bottom of the pot, a casting mold separate gatein alinement with the upper end of the dip-pipe, and a Huid pressure conduit opening into the potabove the level of the casting metal therein; substantially as described.

3. A casting apparatus, comprising a melting pot adapted to serve as a containing reservoir for the molten casting metal, an air-tight cover for the pot, a dip-pipe depending from and removable through the cover and whose lower end opens near the bottom `of thepot, a casting mold separate from the cover and having a gate in alinement with the upper end of the dip-pipe, and a iuid pressure conduit opening into the pot above the level of the casting metal therein, and having a side delivery, thereby avoiding penetration of the entering air jet or jets into the met-al; substantially as described.

4. A casting apparatus, comprising a melting pot adapted ing reservoir for the molten casting metal, an air-tight cover for the pot, a dip-pipe depending from the cover and whose lower end opens near the bottom of the pot, a casting mold having a gate in alinement with thefupper end ofthe dippipe,--1means for releasabl)1 holding the mold in place, means for directing a heatin flame u on the upper open end of the dip-pipe w en the mold is not in place, and a iuid pressure conduit opening into the'pot above the level of the casting metal therein; substantially as described.

5. A casting apparatus, comprising a melting pot adapted to serve as a containing reservoir for the molten casting metal, an air-tight cover for the pot, a dip-pipe depending from the cover and whose lower end opens near Ithe bottom of the pot, a. casting mold having .a gate in almement with to serve as a contain-- the upper end of the dip-pipe, means for releasably holding the mold in place, means for directing a' heatin flame upon the upper end of the dip-pipe w en the mold is not in place, said means consisting of an air pipe and a gas pipe discharging into a mixing chamber from which extends a burner pipe, the said air and gas pipes being mounted to swing into and out of position, and a fluid pressure conduit opening into the pot above the level of the casting metal therein; substantially as describedf 6. In a metal casting apparatus, a melting pot adapted to serve as a containing reservoir for the molten casting metal, an air-tight cover for the pot, a dip-pipe having at its upper end a nozzle by which it is suspended from the cover, said nozzle having a conical recess in its upper surface, a casting mold having a conical gate fitting into the said conical recess, means for releasably clamping the mold in place, and a fluid pressure conduit opening into the pot above the level of the casting metal therein; substantially as described.

7 In a metal casting apparatus, a melting pot adapted to serve as a containing reservoir for the molten casting metal, an air-tight cover for the pot, a dip-pipe, consisting of a main body7 portionv of refractory material and a nozz e by which it is suspended fronr the cover, said nozzle being made up of an upper portion having a recess in alinement with the bore of the dippipe, a lower portion surrounding the upper end of the refractory body portion and having a recess for the reception of a packing cement, together with means for uniting the said upper and lower portions, a casting mold having agate fitting the nozzle, and a Huid pressure conduit opening into the pot above the level of the casting metal therein; substantially as described.

8. In a metal casting apparatus,

the combination with a melting pot, of an air-tight y cover, having a dip-pipe consisting of a main body portion o refractory `material and a nozzle provided with a receiving re-' SAMUEL PRICE WETHERILL, JR.

JOHN PRICE WETIIERILL, JB..

Witnesses:

JOHN O. LOFGREN, 

